The practice of patience guards us against losing our presence of mind. It enables us to remain undisturbed, even when the situation is really difficult. It gives us a certain amount of inner peace, which allows us some self-control, so that we can choose to respond to situations in an appropriate and compassionate manner, rather than being driven by our disturbing emotions.﻿

Canaries sing even more beautifully than this old dude puts his thoughts together, but both do it for some crumbs from their master. Look who feeds this one and you may find your own path to enlightenment.BTW, patience is not a virtue when your house is on fire.﻿

You are so right, but it is so difficult to accomplish. I find myself getting emotionally entangled in other people's emotional circles and I find this causes myself to move away from the inner peace you talk about. I am trying to practice empathy rather than sympathy to give myself some protection or at least enough of a gap between thinking impulsively and choosing to react in a calm rational way. Heightened emotional situations, especially, around family can cause difficulties in choosing the right reaction or been able to choose at all. All the best from Limassol Cyprus.﻿

Yes, nice, but try to do it in a country with highest level of crime, where you can't know if you'll awake tomorrow, where you can't know if will find your car or house tomorrow, where everybody is trying to survive each day passing over people taking all resources without deserve it, where anybody is afraid against death, how can prey?﻿

+Dmitry Kosynkin, actually, patience is a virtue even when your house is on fire: it's called "don't panic" and any panic might get the situation to worsen. "Leave the building in an orderly fashion" requires patience when you feel that people in front of you are not moving "fast enough."﻿

I think the hectic life I (we) lead helps to prevent this from becoming possible. Patience is a virtue that must be worked for ( and waited :) for.) This will be my concentrated effort of the day. I'm glad you were up early and I was led here to read this. These things keep me up late. Thank you with all my heart.﻿

For me, these are very timely words, I printed them off and posted them up on a couple of doors on a calming magenta backgroundI'm in my 60th year and taking leave to work toward a next beginningA goal requiring more patience and presence of mind than I ever imagined - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patience﻿

True! Yet.. not ALL THE TIMES! But in this Yuga, remaining a Dharmaraja wont do.. You have got to train urself as 'Krishna-moulded Arjuna' to get things done.. for ur own very survival!! otherwise.. a member of ur species called YOU will be just wiped out!! Bottled up feelings n emotions shd be let out once in a while, otherwise.. u becm a victim of diabetes, hypertension, etc.﻿

But it is also true that , being patience would not achive anything in life or live like not existed. But I agree that you should always live in the moment. If you start living in the moment, there is a chance of getting angry when people start bugging you! .﻿

the thing about patience is that it takes an incredible amount of effort it may be best sometimes to simply state clearly to the obstacle whether it is animate or inanimate to kindly get out of the f-------ing way and then we can get the job done Rough justice tough love. Its a cruel world and sometimes waiting patiently is not an option﻿

The thing is to not let emotions control you. Emotions are like tools to help us understand and learn about the world. They can help use to better ourselves and share sympathy or empathy. Though if these emotions are not rational and control the mind soon the body will follow in reaction.One must search with in and know that even disturbing emotions are not what drives actions to be good, and to find ways to look in one's self how to bend not break with the wind of these storms that bind us in side.﻿

People hear awesome advice, think that’s great! But carry on living their lives the way they were doing before. We all know patience is good! And it benefits us. but to put it in to practice is another thing. We can only serve one master! Who are you or what are you worshipping? Because that in which you put your heart becomes your master no matter how intelligent you are…﻿

You are certainly right Dalai Lama, I also say "Don't panic, stop and think. Things aren't as bad as they seem". People who panic make mistakes. People who stop and think find the answer is right in front of them.﻿

I serve no masters. I serve others of the world and share myself with the life on this planet. I don't worry about what I can't do and only seek for understanding what I can do for others.When one door closes another will open in time as the saying goes. The thing is to keep an eye on that door and not panic if one will not ever open again. One must look with in and there is window and doors that can open up to share all the good for better things in life. Hope is not easy but neither is patience. How we learn to cope with things matters to if we will have peace or destruction growing in our internal gardens.﻿

Coming from a family of warriors, I have made my own discovery of zen by making an area of my yard strictly for meditation through dance. I've also burned music that induces mental relaxation, Jean-Michele Jarr, some Madonna, Enigma & to everyones amazement--Lady Gaga.When patience is nominal I start with Lady Gaga, Monster to get heated emotions out changing the musical tones to switch over to being docile & meek.﻿

How one learns patience is to sit and think of not the past. We have no control over what happened in the past. One can think of the future and plan but one should not worry about what has not happened yet.One can only concentrate on the now and focus on ones own being. This is how we start to learn to wait.There are distractions but do use positive and creative ones to help find ways to be compassionate.﻿

+Michelle sargent: I believe nature is around us to show how life truly is, not the hyped up tripe that humans have made out to be important and necessary. watching birds nest, feed their young, gather in communities, protect their flock, etc shows how life is meant to be. The flip-side, which I don't always care for, is nature has It's balances, too. I don't like to see the wolf eat the deer, but its part of the circle. Observing nature can truly be medatative and freeing. Seeing a balance is possible to exist in life can help to teach humans to practice important skills. I don't like even the internet or media and tv, but finding a home like this page makes me forgive the parts I disapprove of and concentrate on worthwhile pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and peace. Those same to you.﻿

Well it is really hard to practice patience when you are surrounded by people(easy to achieve in Himalayas) , In this real world you should get angry if and only if there is a profit if doing so. Sometimes it is good to be angry. (You cannot achive anything without getting angry)!﻿

When it comes to natures balances I do not think it is always balanced. How ever even though there is hunger, anger, and fear in nature there is also that ability to understand how to control urges to use these in destructive ways. Rational fear can teach us not to burn ourselves in a fire or harm ourselves. Rational anger can help give us a presence of reason to courage and fight for just causes. Hunger gives us a passion to how to learn and grow. Though with these things always one must not hang onto and ward of the negative effects so not to cause damage that can never be replaced.To improve things we must prepare ourselves inside the mind before we can do anything outside it. To understand the world with in will help us to better understand the world around us.﻿

@Jennifer I. History, on a world and personal level, will continue to repeat itself if humans do not study it and learn to change our behaviors to make peace. I'm not talking about ruminating over petty happenings or worrying obsessively, but studying and being creative to change the world for the better. I don't think you have to have a master or specific denomination for this. It is a personal lifestyle choice to live a compassionate, peaceful life. Influencing and showing by example those around us is the best way to introduce a lasting, harmonious, real change in our localized, everyday life. Peace >you﻿

Ah but there is different kinds of anger. There is the selfish anger and hateful kind. Though there is the anger with love and protection to do what is right. The thing is also not to hold on tight to emotions or they will consume you. Then but to use them to learn and find understandings with one another. One must use such things to build bridges not burn them.﻿

Have you ever studied the life of Jesus Christ and the testimonies of his gosphels? Men in which gave thier lives and Our Creator, sending his Only Son to live and die as a sacrafice for all of His Children to be able to recieve his Gracious gift of Salvation? Eternal asurrance, I know because He lives in me, in spite of myself. Only have to believe in Him and what He's done.﻿

People today want instant gratification in their lives. Patience develops character. The more you practice it, the better you can live with it. "With perseverance, the SNAIL reached the ARK". (Charles Haddon Spurgeon)﻿

I have no strong belief in absolutes on how the world will always work. I do not truly assume things but try to explore in understand it all. I keep looking through my mind's window and see that drive to be loving and caring over my own desires to gain anything of power or to satisfy hunger.If a child is hungry and I am as well I will give my food to the child. I would still feel hunger and a desire to look for more food. That drive just comes naturally I need no reasons other than that. I also have a drive for love and compassion. For some these drives are more or less than others. The drives do start with in and the learning of ourselves about these things do as well.﻿

+Radu Nitulescu I think patience is even more important in a crisis requiring a quick response. The more urgent the problem, the more essential it is to remain calm and undisturbed. You are more likely to make the correct decisions and navigate the complexities of the situation in the most appropriate manner. For example, if you require emergency medical attention, wouldn't you prefer your surgeon to remain calm and thoughtful while working quickly?﻿

I wish you were here to remind me this all the time... I can easily lose my temper against someone I care and I don't like it. I don't think I know how to talk in the appropriate and compassionate manner.﻿

Hope this message or realisation applies to dealing with the Chinese government leaders and instead of ''self--immolations '' by Tibetan young protestors --they shud practice this peaceful maxim ?---" that we can choose to respond to situations in an appropriate and compassionate manner, rather than being driven by our disturbing emotions."....if There is a Buddhist LAW OF CREATION --then whats the use of commiting suicide ???﻿

I believe it was his culture, not himself personally, who dubbed him with the title +G.R. Miller , besides, I think of all the people God would mind least of sharing such a title with, it would be a man who practices and teaches peace and healing worldwide. Are priests and preachers not holy as well? Get off your high horse on this one, there are worse people in the world for you to ridicule.﻿

Liam subjective and objective truths are a balance that one must seek to work together. It is almost like baking a cake when it comes to how we use truths.Got to look at the recipe to really know how to make it come out just right.﻿

Hmmm...here's a quote from a man who is very wise...and yet I see from the comment above that there has been some dissent about the man himself. He's human, too, you know....so shall we look past his failings and take a REAL look at what he is trying to teach?﻿

We need to peacefully stand together and patiently tell the ruling class and government to stop raping the worlds natural resources for corporate greed because soon being patient won't help anyone as soon the earth will be more dead zones than paradise.﻿

I was actually thinking something along these lines the other day during a confrontation with a couple of friends, not nearly as profound as the Dalai Lama's post ofcourse. Always a source of immeasurable wisdom.﻿

I'm happy being driven by what you call disturbing emotions so I don't spend my precious time practicing the extreme asceticism that is being patient. Eastern culture fails to understand that the Bodhi is not necessarily achieved through a contemplative state, au contraire, its etymology suggest quite the opposite.﻿

Absolutely right your Holiness, But it is difficult to put this in to practice.However once you get in to the mode, you improve every moment and finally achieve a condition where you respond to a situation with compassion.

When you are driven by disturbing emotions, you heart others, and when you hurt others you automatically hurt your own soul.

Being patient is the ultimate challenge for anyone but to learn self control is a gift. Sometimes we say and do things we dont mean so to have something to fall back on is good. This could be the challenge of the week try to be more in control of your life and just live it up. :)﻿

Thank you for your benign words, +Dalai Lama. Although I do not follow your religion, I follow you 'til the end. There needs to be more loving, understanding individuals in this world like you, sir. You are the equivalent to the modern-day Jesus Christ.

Being patient has been a nemesis in my life. It was one of the things that lead me to meditation, and even there I have trouble with my impatience. Thank you for reminding me to continue to be aware of this issue.﻿

I shall continue to work on my capacity to accept and tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. I have come a long way in my years but still find much room for self-improvement in the area of patience.﻿

We should rather take a good look at ourselves and, except responsibility for our faults. Its so easy to set the blame on others, "As do I." I'm trying to learn patience so that I can pass love w/respect for others.﻿

to love unconditionally. one must learn to love the strengths, as well as the weaknesses of another.only then will you have the power to turn weakness to strength.learn to love yourself. only then will you be able to love others. by: John P. Duff﻿

+Victor Abbott Not quite. The idea isn't to never get angry, or frustrated, or happy or sad. The idea is simply to be conscious of and at least a little in control of whether you are angry, or frustrated, or happy or sad.

Instead of flying off the handle in anger, cultivate the ability to pause for a moment first and ask: "is becoming angry the best course of action?" And guess what? It might be! Anger is a powerful emotion.﻿

Emotions are merely chemical reactions to outward circumstances and stimuli. We have ingrained, through repetition, these chemical responses in our brains. Therefore if the emotion is a response to a stimuli, I believe the Dalai Lama is not suggesting that we have a world without emotions but that we are to control and differentiate the chemical response in our body and our physical response in the world.﻿

Apparently, +Kelline Pickett, it is customary to address the Delai Lama as Gyalwa Rinpoche ("Precious Victor"), however, i feel that if i was ever to meet the 14th incarnation of this most enlightened being I will probably fail to get past the whole "We're not worthy!!! We're not worthy!!!" stage.﻿

I go beyond that which I am to something that I want to be ... something beyond my emotions and behaviors to what my sould truly is. If we were all masters of patience, we would all be in our buddah state.﻿

Inpatience is a re-action and patience is a calculated action.a virtue indeed.when personal afairs,eperience and history is involved the good guys always plan for the bad guys in no time.the fact is,patience is a notime place of mind and we all have it as potential except that it might be too dark to see especially when you have taken too much of it.can kill. ﻿

emotions aren't simply how you feel, alot of the time its how you feel completely over exaggerated by your state of mind, which is how depression occurs I guess, when things are bad and your mind keeps telling you to sit and breakdown. Alot of the time you should fight against them because over wise your mind reigns control over your emotions and you do end up being driven by disturbing emotions. Patience is a strength, as no matter what happens you can still remain to sit still﻿

Hmmm, yes, i remember fondly the days when Mom didnt 'need' to work, when 'after school' meant it was 'play' time and not time to do six hours of nightly homework and 'everyone' actually had time to 'think a moment on that...' and maybe even stop to smell those roses i've heard an awful lot about, but haven't really had the time to figure out where in the heck some darn jerk went and hid them on me!!! lol Yes, it would seem more and more these days good ol Uncle Sam just doesn't want the majority of having a free second or two to reflect on, well, much of anything. Golly gee, Wally, do ya think this means that were gonna be latch-key kids now??? Awww, Beave, I dunno, but I'm feeling it's every kid for themself from here on out, so dont ya be droppin them bars o soap around Eddie Haskel no more, you hear me??? Ah, Wally, youre the best... No, Beave, not the best...just the last! See ya around, Beave...﻿

True patience does equate to an inner peace, as the DL stated. It's not a separateness from situations. When called for, it allows for quick action to be taken ( when needed) instead of inner tumult thwarting action.﻿

Wow you guys are super wise! I mean im 12 and this is amazing. I can't belive it! Also i really admire you because you believe more how politics and religion should be separite so much you are giving up all that power!!! Blows my mind﻿

I look forward to postings from the Dalai Lama in the evening. It reminds me to be happy every day, no matter what. The impermanence of upsetting events have nothing on the lasting impact of happy thoughts.﻿

no, +Jeremy Ray, emotions are not there just to fight against. No buddhist path (you mention Zen) is about having no emotion; it's about not being automatically driven by any, that's quite different. It's about having an emotion but without a neurosis to make it appear "what has to be dealt with now " when actually it's "just" an emotion... Emotions are impermanent phenomena, no buddhist path would deny impermanence or phenomena, it only attempts to give it back its right, appropriate, importance.﻿

I find that the practice of patience buys me time & very often that time offers me the space in which I can make calmer choices especially in situations that may provoke negative emotions. I say the 'practice' of patience because like all things good, the more I do it, the better I get at it. It's straightforward but not easy.....﻿

I do practice in patience a lot, especially in this day and age. Some people are born with it, others have to learn, some people don't bother and in some cases- especially if there is a life threatening event those who are able to think things through and get it done immediately can be heroes. Its not always slow and steady (the turtle) that wins the race...﻿

knowing who we are and appreciate that we avoid being upset with life and with ourselves, detachment from material lifts our spirit away from the human condition increasingly closer to the great spirit﻿

As pride is often the excuse for anger rethinking what we are in this world to do, is extreamly important thing. Pride is the evidence of an early injury to the soul, and the wish never to be at the mercy of anyone and desire to control your existance sad.﻿

Sir.. its so great to find that the thoughts that my religion preaches is same as all others and of yours too (like the one above)... My only question is, then why do we have these fights between the religions ??﻿

Religions have their own ideals and one religion differs from the other. Its like the age old question of which colour is better, Red or Blue? some would say red, others would say blue those who like a different colour would state their favourite. You'll then get the fanatics of their colour (blue or red for example) insulting their opposites and that would escalate into a fight. I think it is a little like that and that is why I don't support any religion. Religions and clashes between them causes conflict.﻿

Religions are the ways people go to the one goal - inner peace and clear presence of mind. Ways are different, people's lives are different, approaches, colors, tastes and kinds - all of them may be different. But the goal remains the same. Fights between religions? For what? At the beginning, the way I go is shorter for me, than yours, and yours is shorter for you. But the goal is the same I think, and as close you stay to yours you can see how close all reaching it too. Could you help them a little?﻿

For whatever you believe in for whatever reasons there is for you to believe in them in the end dont we all strive for the same goal....that is for PEACE...period. So with that being said we MUST NOT judge our brothers and sisters for what they believe to be the truth. This is their god given right as a human being. We all as individuals have a right to our opinions. As well we also have this right to express such opinions as we see fit, BUT not to force feed our thoughts and opinions down each others throats for this is why we are individuals. This is what makes us uniquie and the world such an interesting life to live in. To share ones experiences with one another helps us to grow, to experience other lives and possibly become more open minded, hencefore then , more lets say.. compassionate and a better understandind of ones trials and tribulations of ones life.After all God said "help your brothers and sisters people" , for we are ALL only has strong as our weakest link. And we are all put on this earth to serve a purpose, for whatever god has intended it to be.In the end only God knows, and we have to satisfied with that, and that alone. Amen﻿

Hello sir Esquire I am Ala al-Ahmad Greetings to you and respect for the growing I am from Iraq Had previously sent to the prestige of some posts Thanks for the effort you are doing the humanitarian Salami and respect﻿

Being inspired by His Hollines Dalai Lama, +Challenge:Future organises and gathers youth voices from all over the world, to say what Dalai Lama means to them. Patience is one of the mentioned inspirations!﻿

I practice patience and tolerance even if it goes against all that I believe or care for. You can learn from other peoples perspectives and even see how similar they are to you. You know what else is in short supply? Trust and compassion.﻿

Control on your emotions is conquering yourself !Now I'm way far from this...but that doesn't means that I cant achieve it. And Patience is the only discipline I will need. Never let the emotion blind the thought.﻿

I always work to remember that when all is said and done, 'what is' has nothing to do with who we really are. Therefore, patients with it is just the acknowledgement that all is happening in a perfect way. As such, we will appear to have self-control, when what we have is presence...﻿

+Ruth Rader you won't "benefit" of anything... ever... its a matter of choice all about surrendering your inner to chaos... either u can find something for yourself even now or you will take lots and lots of steps back just for nothing... all that way back knowing ull have to go forward again somehow

i dont know if he ever reads comments here and though i cant be of any use in comparison with that guy... i just dont want to motivate you or pretend to go positive... well i just hope YOU read responds﻿

I see, you post April 30th.... And I am anxiously awaiting your next post.....patience... I'm working on it. But maybe you can't work on it. Maybe it must just exist. By pursueing it, I am causing it to elude me.... Hmmmm. Mayb I'm not on the right track.﻿